The present invention relates to a buckle, more particularly, the present invention relates to a buckle with a buckle release system that can be used with a parachute harness.
A harness for use with a parachute may include a buckle having a buckle release system for releasing the harness from the canopy of the parachute. A conventional buckle, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,247 to Warrick et al., has a buckle release system for the manual or automatic release of a crewmember harness from its associate harness. This conventional buckle has a frame that receives a cooperating buckling member (tang) that is secured to a portion of the harness. A tang assembly secures the buckling member in the frame. A latch that pivots between a closed position and an open position holds the tang assembly. The latch is intended to prevent the inadvertent release of the buckling member from the frame. A lever that includes a cavity holds a free end of the latch. During operation, the lever is moved to an open position in order to release the latch. However, like other conventional buckles, the buckle disclosed in the patent to Warrick et al. may not open and release the harness under some difficult and extreme conditions. Failure of the buckle to open and release can be hazardous to the wearer of the harness. For example, the canopy may exert a substantial force on the harness when the conditions are windy. If the buckle fails to release or the wearer is unable to operate the buckle, the aircraft personnel could be dragged along the ground or through water due to the force of the wind on the canopy. This could place the wearer in great danger of receiving significant bodily injury.
Accordingly, a need exists for a buckle with a buckle release system that can withstand and operate under difficult operating environments.
An aspect of the present invention includes a buckle with a buckle release system for releasing a parachute harness from about a wearer. The buckle release system can include a manual release mechanism and/or an automatic release mechanism. In one embodiment, the buckle release system comprises a lock lever, a manual release lever, a latch, and a spring-biased catch. The lock lever can hold the manual release lever in the locked position and provide a guard to prevent inadvertent/accidental release of the buckle. When the lock lever is removed from engagement with the manual release lever, the manual release lever is operable and capable of moving relative to the frame of the buckle. The manual release lever is capable of engaging with and rotating a shaft having a catch disposed thereon. The catch is engageable by the manual release lever but can be independent of the manual release lever such that when the catch is rotated through operation of an automatic release mechanism, the manual release lever does not rotate with the shaft and catch.
In an embodiment, the catch has a pivoting end, a free end, and defines a latch recess with a latch holding ledge disposed thereon. In this embodiment, the latch holding ledge is capable of engaging with the free end of a latch that is pivotally attached to the frame. The catch can be biased in the locked position, for example, by a spring. The latch can comprise a tooth capable of rotating into and out of engagement with a slide. The slide moves in reciprocal fashion in the frame between locked and open positions, and has a first end and a second end opposite the first end. In an embodiment, the slide can comprise a tooth contacting shoulder that cooperates with the tooth on the latch to hold the slide in the locked position. In this embodiment, the slide comprises a slide contacting shoulder that may be at about a 45xc2x0 angle and shaped to engage with a buckle lip on a buckling member that is attached to the harness. The frame comprises a narrow portion that defines a xe2x80x9cnecked downxe2x80x9d opening that enables the buckling member to disengage from the slide in an open, position, and provides an obstruction to keep the buckling member engaged with the slide when the slide is in the locked position.
The buckle according to an aspect of the present invention includes a buckle release system that can be operated by aircraft personnel under difficult and potentially life threatening conditions. Additionally, the buckle can be resistant to sand for situations where the parachutist lands on a beach or other sandy environment. As a result, the buckle according to an aspect of the present invention can operate under conditions that would otherwise pose a dangerous situation to the wearer.